Clustering of childhood Diarrhea diseases using gaussian mixture model

Abstract

Diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries. Diarrhea is a digestive disorder characterized by the need to defecate more often than usual. Diarrhea remains a major problem of public health in Indonesia, with 40% of cases occurring in children under five years old. Bandung City is one of the largest cities in West Java Province with the sixth highest cases of diarrhea in West Java. The high number of diarrhea cases in Bandung City is a serious concern in public health efforts, especially among young children. The incidence of diarrhea in children under five in Bandung City in 2022 was recorded as high as 6376 cases. Therefore, this study aims to cluster sub-districts in Bandung City based on factors that influence diarrhea cases. Five factors are used, namely the prevalence of diarrhea in children under five years old, clean and healthy living behaviour, healthy latrine facilities, population density, and many baby less than 6 months old are exclusively breastfed . Based on the results of clustering with the Gaussian mixture model, 5 regional groups were obtained based on similarity of characteristics with five factors. Cluster 2 are areas characterized by a high percentage of households with healthy latrines and healthy living behaviour. Cluster 5 are areas characterized by a high prevalence of diarrhea in children under five. The results of this clustering indicate the importance of interventions and strategies by the government of Bandung city to prevent the increasing number of diarrhea cases among children under five. Therefore, it can provide better insight into the distribution of diarrhea cases to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improve the health status of children under five in Indonesia, particularly in Bandung City.